Energy Efficiency Day is two weeks away: Here’s what you can do

In just two weeks, on October 5, you can join a nationwide campaign (#EEDay2018) to shout out the multiple benefits of energy efficiency, from reducing energy waste and saving money to lessening pollution and creating jobs.

No need to wait, though. You can let others know now about the third annual Energy Efficiency Day by emailing colleagues and friends or sharing posts on social media (here’s a toolkit). You can take other steps too, such as replacing an old light bulb with an LED, planning events to spotlight efficiency, or asking local officials to issue a proclamation (here’s the text for that).

If you haven’t done so already, consider signing up as a participant on the campaign’s website, hosted by regional and national groups including ACEEE that want to raise awareness about efficiency’s importance.

Last year, more than 300 individuals, organizations, companies, utilities, and local governments were official supporters. The US Senate, six states, seven counties, and 19 cities issued proclamations recognizing October 5 as Energy Efficiency Day. Elected officials tweeted their support, including Boston mayor Marty Walsh and Knoxville mayor Madeline Rogero. Big businesses did so as well, with tweets from Walmart Today, PG&E, Cree Inc., and others.

Please join us in making this year’s celebration even bigger. Here are a few other ideas for participating and sharing the good news:

Post photos and stories on social media that describe how you or our organization is saving energy. Please include not only #EEDay2018 but also #EEDayPhotos so we can collect the images. Another approach: say what energy efficiency means to you and ask others to do the same, also with the #EEDay2018 hashtag.

Check out the energy-saving steps on the campaign’s website or on ACEEE’s SmarterHouse.org, which includes tip sheets for consumers and college students. Some steps are simple, such as regularly changing furnace filters, washing clothes using full loads in cold water, reducing the temperature of your water heater (to 120°) and dryer; and turning off electronics when not in use (and, of course, the lights!) Watch our quick consumers’ guide for more ideas:

Share these powerful messages about energy efficiency, the country's third-largest electricity resource: It saves US consumers billions of dollars each year on utility bills, up to $500 per household from appliance efficiency standards alone. It supports at least 2.25 million direct jobs and, by avoiding power plant emissions, it cleans our air, protects our health (avoids 30,000 asthma cases each year), and helps address climate change.

Stay tuned to hear more about promising efficiency efforts all across the United States in ACEEE’s upcoming 2018 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard.

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Overview / Mission

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization, acts as a catalyst to advance energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, and behaviors. We believe that the United States can harness the full potential of energy efficiency to achieve greater economic prosperity, energy security, and environmental protection for all its people.